Three Greenland cruise itineraries will be offered by MS Fram, a modern new expedition ship launched in April 2007. The 114-metre-long, 20-metre-wide explorer ship has eight decks and 140 cabins with 318 berths. MS Fram features a restaurant, bar, lecture rooms, sauna, gym, Jacuzzi, passenger bridge and viewing lounge. PolarCirkel boats bring passengers to shore for expeditions.
Each Greenland cruise begins with a flight to Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, and continues by ship or charter flight to Greenland. Expert guides, informative lectures and PolarCirkel boat landings highlight each cruise.
Iceland to Greenland cruises
A 15-day Reykjavik, Iceland to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland cruise runs May 24 to June 8, 2007, and in reverse, from September 3 to 17. Cruise prices begin at $7,210. (All rates are in Canadian dollars.)
Passengers see the mountainous east coast of Skjoldungen, known for its rock formations and ringed seal colony. They observe spectacular scenery while soaking in Uunatoq hot springs, once enjoyed by Vikings and Inuit people.
Lectures highlight Greenland's history and wildlife. Passengers may see and photograph arctic fox, reindeer, musk ox and other Kangerlussuaq wildlife, as well as 18th-century buildings and stone sculptures created by modern Nordic artists in Qaqortoq.
In June and July, MS Fram offers several 12-day Disko Bay Greenland cruises, beginning with two days in Reykjavik, Iceland, followed by a flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Cruise prices start at $5,260.
Inuit lifestyle and culture
Passengers see how Inuit hunt in their kayaks, view the graves of 500-year-old Inuit mummies in Qilakitsoq and learn about modern Greenlandic society in Ilulissat, Disko Bay's metropolitan centre.
On shore excursions in Kangerlussuaq, they may see arctic fox, reindeer and musk ox. From the ship, they can observe whales and seals. In Qeqertarsuaq, they walk through Blaesedalen, known as The Valley of the Winds.
Also in Greenland, MS Fram cruises by 6,000-foot-high glacial cliffs in Evighedsfjorden. Passengers may also see the Eqip Sermia glacier calve icebergs. Evening lectures feature Greenland's past and present in Sisimiut.
World's most northern village
Nineteen-day Disko Bay and Thule itineraries explore almost the entire west coast of Greenland. Cruises, beginning at $8,760, run August 6 to 24 and August 20 to September 7, 2007.
The first six days of this itinerary are the same as the Disko Bay Greenland cruise. In addition, passengers visit explorer-ethnographer Knud Ramussen's old trading post, which was built in 1910. They also meet the residents of beautiful Siorapaluk, the most northerly village in the world. In the town of Thule, the first region colonised by Inuit from the west, they visit a museum, which was once Knud Rasmussen's house.
